The present invention relates generally to the field of master data management, and more particularly to managing ownership of attributes in master data management systems.
Master data management (MDM) systems provide a platform for ensuring consistency of data across multiple systems and databases deployed by an enterprise user. For example, a bank may have multiple source systems for interacting with customers in different ways, such as deposit accounts, investment accounts, loans, payment card management, etc., all of which may need to interact with the customer's contact information. The bank may deploy an MDM system to ensure that the customer contact information is managed consistently.
Generally, MDM systems may be characterized as physical, virtual, or hybrid. In a virtual MDM implementation, data remains fragmented across various source systems in a distributed manner with a central indexing service. By contrast, in a physical MDM implementation, master data is stored and/or created in a centralized system, which is accessed by or pushed to the various source systems.
Hybrid MDM implementations blend the virtual and physical styles of management by allowing source systems to manage of some attributes and the central management of other attributes. In hybrid MDM implementations, several capabilities are exposed that allow for seamless movement of master data entities between their virtual and physical representations. Enterprises continue to face challenges in managing the ownership of various attributes in MDM systems, particularly hybrid MDM systems.